Water distribution for the prevention of fire.



No. 876,222. PATENTED JAN. 7, 1908.

- G. M. NEWHALL.

WATER DISTRIBUTION FOR THE PREVENTION OF FIRE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 1905.

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.view in elevation on a reduced scale showing those which may be on :[ire and from GEORGE M. NEWHALL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

WATER DISTRIBUTION FOR THE PREVENTION OF FIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. '7', 1908.

Application filed May 22,1905. Serial No. 261.605.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. NEWH'ALL, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in \Vater Distribution for the Prevention of F ire, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for preventing the spread of fire to a building adjoining that which may be burning; the object of my invention being to provide means for discharging water in a spray within the building and at the same time providing for the wetting down of the outside surface of the wall with such water. Such means may be combined with and be operated by shutter mechanism closing the windows or openings of the building, or may be operated independently of the same; a shutter being preferably employed in connection with my water distributing mechanism.

My invention is fully shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1, is a sectional elevation of a portion of a building showing the window opening therefor, the sash in place and an inside shutter for the window opening; Fig. 2, is a ing the interior of a building and a series of window openings; Fig. 3, is an exterior view of a portion of a building, and F 4, is a perspective view of a detail of myinvention.

The greatest danger to buildings adjoinwhich they may be separated by narrow alleys, light wells or other passages, is the opportunity for the fire to pass through one or more of the window openings and communicate with the interior of such adjoining building. This danger is often very great, even though so called fireproof shutters are employed to cover the window openings of the adjoining buildings, as the heat is frequently so intense as to make such shutters red-hot and char the interior woodwork adjacent to the same, thereby rendering it liable to instant combustion should a shutter be broken through. ith my invention I prevent the spread of the fire and the damage due to excessive heat, by maintaining a constant spray or stream of water down the walls of the building.

In the accompanying drawing, 1 represents the window openings and 2 the wall of a building, such openings having the usual window frame 3, andripper and lower sashes t and 5 which may be operated in any usual or well-known manner. Inside the room in which the windows are located, I mount sliding shutters 6 carried by rollers 7 on a track s above the window openings, each shutter having a grooved lower portion 9 embracing a ledge ll) disposed at a point below the window sill, such ledge being preferably perforated at ll for a purpose to be. described.

At the top of each window opening I mount a hollow lintel 15, which may be metal or other suitable material, and which is in comn'iunication with a source of water supply, through the pipe 16, which is provided with a valve 17 for cutting off such supply, which means may be arranged to be automatically operated, or to be operated. by a watchman. The lintel is hollow for the reception of the water and has a narrow slit 18 at the bottom extending toward the room, or, in lieu of this, a series of openings may be provided, all of which are disposed at the lower outer edge and preferably at an angle so that when water is introduced into such structure after the shutter has been closed, such water will be discharged on the outer surface of the shutter and will fall in a film or spray over such surface.

On the inner wall of the room or apartment, below the usual sill, I provide a trough or gutter 20, which may be continuous and serve for all of the windows in such wall, or may be in sections arranged for single windows only. This trough is so disposed that it will catch the water discharged onto the outer face of the shutter and passing into the same through the perforations l] of the ledge 10, and for the purpose of draining this gutter, I provide the outlets 21 formed in the wall proper and extending from the gutter to the outside of such wall. These outlets will be covered by suitable doors or gates 22, hinged at 23, that may be readily displaced by the water, permitting the ready outflow of the same, but are so disposed that no air or dust may enter the building through the same.

The pipes 16 supplying the hollow lintels 15 with water are provided with valves, whichmay be operated in a number of ways. For instance, for use when the shutters are open, the valves 17 will be provided with arms 25 in line with the moving shutters or engaging means carried thereby, whereby the closing movement of said shutters will operate said valves so that in case of a fire breaking out during the day in an adjoining building, the shutters when closing will auto matically open said valves and water from the hollow lintels 15 will be sprayed on said shutters and walls to prevent the spread of the fire. When the shutters are closed, however, a condition that should eXist at night when the building is nominally empty, other means which may be operated automatically, by some electrical force or fluid pressure device, should be employed since the shutter being closed, the mechanism which is oper ated by closing the same will be normally out of action and the other mechanism as just described will be in position to be operated.

In some instances instead of providing a special lintel to receive the water to be discharged onto the shutter, the tracks for the shutter may be hollow with suitable openings, and so disposed as to receive a supply of water and discharge it onto said shutter when desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination of gravity moved closing means disposed on the inside of a window opening of a building, means at the top of said opening for discharging a spray of water upon the outer surface of said closing means when the latter is in the closed position, and means for-catching the water at the lower part of the shutter and conveying it away.

2. The combination of a gravity closed sliding shutter disposed. on the inside of a window opening of a building, and means at the top of said window opening for discharging a spray of water upon the outer surface of said shutter when the latter is in the closed position.

3. The combination of a shutter disposed on the inside of a window opening of a building, means for moving said shutter, and means at the top of said opening operated by the movement of said shutter for discharging a spray of water upon its outer surface when in the closed position.

4. The combination of a building having an opening, a frame for said opening, a shutter for, closing said opening, a hollow lintel mounted in said frame and serving as a water reservoir, and a source of water supply communicating with said lintel.

5. The combination of a building having an opening, a frame for said opening, a shutter for closing said opening, a hollow lintel mounted in said frame, a source of water supply, and means operated by the closing movement of said shutter for delivering said water to the hollow lintel.

6. The combination of a wall having an opening, a shutter for closing said opening, means at the top of said opening for discharging water upon said shutter when in the closed position, and a gutter for collecting said water, said wall having openings leading outwardly from said gutter to the outer surface of the wall for the passage of water discharged on the shutter.

7. The combination of a shutter disposed within a building and arranged to close a window opening therein, a hollow lintel for receiving and discharging water on the outer surface of said shutter, said lintel being mounted at the upper part of said window opening, a gutter at the lowerpart of said window opening for receiving the water passing from said shutter, and outlets leading from said gutter.

8. The combination of a wall having an opening, a shutter for closing said opening, a hollow lintel mounted at the upper part of said opening, means for delivering water to said lintel to be discharged onto said shutter, a gutter on the inside of the wall below the shutter for receiving the water discharged onto the latter, said wall having openings communicating with said gutter, and lids or covers for said openings.

9. The combination of a wall having an opening, a shutter for closing said opening means for discharging water on said shutter, a guide at the lower part of the window for the shutter, and a trough or gutter below the same, said guide having openings for the passage of water discharged onto the shutter.

.10. The combination of a building having an opening, a shutter disposed on the inside A of the building for closing said opening, means for discharging water upon the outer surface 100 of said shutter, and means for effecting said discharge by the closing movement of the shutter.

In,testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of 105 two subscribing witnesses.

' v GEORGE M. NEVVHALL. Witnesses:

E. WILBUR KRIEBEL, MURRAY C. BOYER. 

